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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29587422">Not today - Fanfiction of Small Talk</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyndis/pseuds/Lyndis'>Lyndis</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>All For The Game - Nora Sakavic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M, Neil punches Allison, Protective Neil Josten</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 00:41:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>792</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29587422</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyndis/pseuds/Lyndis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Andrew has a bad day and Neil tries to negotiate for him a pause of the ongoing bet.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>161</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Not today - Fanfiction of Small Talk</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/likearecord/gifts">likearecord</a>.</li>


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28468065">Small Talk</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/likearecordplayer/pseuds/likearecordplayer">likearecordplayer</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This piece was beta read by Laura :-3<br/><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lauravg_20/pseuds/Lauravg_20">Lauravg_20</a> you are amazing and I am so happy you are helping me!</p><p>-- </p><p>Hello everyone!<br/>This is a fanfiction (so non canon!) of likearecord's Small Talk<br/>I talked to her and we both agreed that this is too dark to fit into the actual fic, but I was allowed to post it anyway :3</p><p> </p><p>Content warnings: Neil punshes Allison, Andrew has a very bad day</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I will take over for him today. Just tell me what you want so he won’t lose the bet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allison raised a mocking eyebrow and flicked her hair back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? The monster can’t stand talking to people anymore and sends you to buy himself out of the bet? No. It’s a bet, Neil. If he can’t do it, he loses. It’s that simple.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Neil grit his teeth and counted to ten in as many languages as he could manage right now. Unsurprisingly it wasn't much, his thoughts too disturbed with the image of Andrew’s slumped form on the couch, the dead, empty look in his eyes. Andrew hadn’t slept in days because of nightmares, he didn’t eat more than strictly necessary and Neil knew when he saw Andrew this morning that he was at his limits. Today was the climax of it all and pressuring him into talking to people today was some kind of horrible torture Neil couldn’t let happen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just not today, Allison. Tell me what you want in return, it can be anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Neil”, Allison said with concern but also cold arrogance in her voice, “It’s just words. It is not that hard. Chill a bit, would you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Neil had never punched a woman in his life. Well, not one that hadn’t been a threat to his life first. So he was a bit surprised by himself when his fist buried itself deep into Allison’s stomach. He didn’t flinch back from it, though. Instead the smile of his father tucked at the corners of his mouth while hot anger made his blood boil.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allison crumbled to the ground in surprise, gasping for air and slightly retching.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wanna grab some food right now? It’s just chewing and swallowing. It’s not that hard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck you!” Allison nearly choked on the words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Neil wanted to say more, wanted to tear her apart with the sharpest words he had for her. He wanted to show her how deep words could cut, how words weren’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>just words</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He was so done with the others acting like Andrew wasn’t a normal human being with emotions and problems. If it were Renee or Dan Allison would have understood. But Andrew? Why should anyone assume that Andrew was more than just a soulless psycho?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was stopped by shuffling at the door. For a moment he thought it was one of the girls returning to their dorm, but when he turned around, Andrew stood there. One shoulder propped against the doorframe, trying to look casual instead of deeply exhausted and failing miserably. He couldn’t hide the dark circles under his eyes, his unwashed hair because today he couldn’t stand to be without clothes. Usually no one ever saw him like that but the people living in his dorm with him. And if someone overlooked the look on Andrew’s face and his hair, no one could overlook the clothes he was wearing. They were Neil’s most hideous ones. A hoodie soft with years of wearing it, the cuffs almost completely gone, the color not noticeable anymore because of too much washing. The sweatpants were light grey and very thin threaded, pooling at Andrew’s feet because they were too long for Neil even.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Neil gritted his teeth again, his jaw aching by now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s your favourite colour?” Andrew’s voice sounded like sandpaper. Like he hadn’t used it in ages. Like every single syllable cut through his throat like shards of glass.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Allison asked, still kneeling on the floor, holding her stomach and trying not to vomit. Andrew didn’t answer, just stared down at her, waiting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Midnight blue.”, she rasped at some point. Neil felt deep satisfaction at seeing her struggle to talk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good with my pale skin and blonde hair.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Andrew nodded in acknowledgement and the room fell silent for a few moments.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mine’s black”, Andrew offered. “Because it reminds me that there is still something darker than humanity.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allison just looked up at him and blinked, not able to process anything of the situation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Andrew looked small in the overwide clothes. Andrew never looked small. Neil hated when he did. It meant people could think Andrew was weak. It meant that Andrew wasn’t capable of taking up the space he so desperately needed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good talk”, Allison tried and Andrew nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For the first time, Andrew looked at Neil and the look clearly said: </span>
  <em>
    <span>Never do that again. I hate you and right now I mean it.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Neil swallowed, but it was okay. Trying to have Andrew’s back came with a price. Andrew being prickly toward him because of it, was a price he was willing to pay.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Andrew just turned around and, after sending Allison one last murderous look, Neil followed him back to their dorm.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I live off of comments and kudos &lt;3<br/>Hit me with all your thoughts and feels!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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